


Five Three Two

by sea_level



Series: Extended AUgust [6]
Category: Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hospital, Dan Cody is alive, Dan Cody's Alcoholism in the form of him being in the hospital for alcohol poisoning, M/M, Meet-Cute, Slightly De-Aged (~7 Years), They/Them for Jordan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-24
Updated: 2020-07-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:02:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25482859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sea_level/pseuds/sea_level
Summary: There’s a dark-haired man wearing ceil blue scrubs sitting on the bench outside of five-two-three. He’s slouched over, tapping at his phone halfheartedly. It’s as good a place to start as any.“Hello!” Jay greets. “Do you happen to know what room Dan Cody is in?”The man’s head jerks up, and he stares at Jay for a few seconds, eyes blinking and mouth hanging open slightly. “Ah, no I—I don’t work here, I mean, on this floor, I do work here, but I’m just...visiting, um, my cousin,” the man says all in a rush and points his thumb over his shoulder to the window behind him. “But I can help! If you’d like!”
Relationships: Nick Carraway/Jay Gatsby
Series: Extended AUgust [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1811098
Comments: 4
Kudos: 82
Collections: AUgust 2020





	Five Three Two

**Author's Note:**

> Everyone's been de-aged about seven years. Can't remember exactly _why_ I made that decision, but it's inseparably tied to the AU, so I can't change it now.

Jay curses as he runs into the waiting room, looking for anyone who can tell him which room Dan Cody’s being kept in.

There’s something particularly frustrating about the fact that Dan was brought here to Bellevue instead of the hospital that Jay is literally doing his residency at. Maybe Jay could have dropped by Dan’s room when he was on one of his breaks, but, instead, he’d had to wait four nerve-wracking hours for his shift to end so he could hop on the first taxi out of NewYork-Presbyterian.

The receptionist pieces together Jay’s garbled request, types something into her computer, and then sends Jay on his way with a room number.

Five-thirty-two, Jay repeats to himself as he waits for the elevator to take him up to the fifth floor. Five, three, two.

Realistically, there’s no need for him to be so stressed. This isn’t the first time that Dan’s been admitted for alcohol poisoning, and the nurse that had called had said that he’d most likely be fine—or at least as fine as any man as permanently and thoroughly alcoholic as Dan was could be. They had pumped his stomach, started him on an intravenous drip, and left him to rest. All he needed now were a few days of bed rest.

Dan would survive, just like all the other times before this.

Jay sighs but then jumps when the elevator dings and the doors open suddenly. He steps out and looks around the floor. What was the room number again? Five...uh... Was it two-three or three-two?

There’s a dark-haired man wearing ceil blue scrubs sitting on the bench outside of five-two-three. He’s slouched over, tapping at his phone halfheartedly. It’s as good a place to start as any.

“Hello!” Jay greets. “Do you happen to know what room Dan Cody is in?”

The man’s head jerks up, and he stares at Jay for a few seconds, eyes blinking and mouth hanging open slightly. “Ah, no I—I don’t work here, I mean, on this floor, I do work here, but I’m just...visiting, um, my cousin,” the man says all in a rush and points his thumb over his shoulder to the window behind him. “But I can help! If you’d like!”

“Ah, no, it’s alright,” Jay replies, smiling and waving his goodbyes. “I think I can find it on my own. Sorry for bothering you while you were off the clock.”

The man tentatively waves back and says, “No worries.”

 _He’s cute,_ Jay thinks as he walks away, but the thought’s gone as soon as it had come. He has bigger things to worry about.

* * *

Jay returns to Bellevue the next day as soon as he’s done with his shift. This time, though, he’s a little more relaxed about getting there, especially after he’d gotten the chance to see for himself that Dan was alive and well the day before.

When he emerges from the elevator onto the fifth floor, he notices that the man in scrubs that he’d seen sitting out of 523 is there again.

“Hey,” Jay says, approaching him. “I wanted to apologize for yesterday.”

“Oh, hello again,” the man says, standing up. “It was an easy mistake, don’t worry about it. _I’d_ like to apologize for being so awkward yesterday. I guess you caught me a little bit off guard, and it’s honestly been kind of a long week.”

“I completely understand,” Jay says, smiling. “We all have our days. My name is Jay, by the way, Jay Gatsby.” He extends his hand.

“Nick Carraway,” Nick replies, shaking it. “How’s your friend doing? Dan, was it? Or at least I assume he’s your friend.”

“Yeah,” Jay says. “Dan Cody. He’s my friend, mentor, basically family in everything but blood and paperwork. He’s doing well. He’s gotten over the worst of it now.”

“Glad to hear it!” Nick replies.

“And your cousin?” Jay asks.

Nick’s smile falters. “About as well as can be expected.”

“Ah, I’m sorry.”

Nick waves him off. “It’s a tough situation, but she’s a strong kid. I’m just here to keep her company while she’s awake.”

“Ah, well I certainly wish you and her the best,” Jay says.

Nick smiles. “You and Mr. Cody as well.”

“Thanks,” Jay says. “Say, before I go, you mentioned last time that you worked somewhere else in this hospital. Out of curiosity, may I ask where?”

“Radiology,” Nick answers. “I’m a technician. And you?”

“I’m doing my surgical residency at NewYork-Presbyterian.”

Nick whistles. “Oh, fancy. Remember me when you’re rich and famous in the medical world, won’t you?”

Jay laughs.

* * *

“Who was that you were talking to?” Dan asks when Jay enters his room.

“Another one of the visitors,” Jay says, slinging off his backpack and taking out some of the snacks that he’d brought for Dan to eat. “His name’s Nick.”

Dan raises an eyebrow. “You know his name?”

“I talked briefly with him yesterday,” Jay says, fussing over the medical equipment that Dan’s hooked up to. It’s all good, in perfect working condition, but after so many years of tending to Dan’s various alcohol-related health issues, he can’t help but feel like he knows best in these kinds of situations.

“I’m surprised you talked to someone you weren’t actively networking with,” Dan says, pushing himself up a little more so that he isn’t slouching quite so much.

Jay looks up from the vase of flowers he’d been carefully straightening up. “Who’s to say I wasn’t networking,” he defends. “He works at this hospital.”

“Uh-huh,” Dan says. “You forget that I have ears and that I can hear things like bits and pieces of hallway conversations. So what is it? Is he cute? Did you get his number?”

Jay sighs and stops trying to adjust the flowers. “Dan, may I just say that I deeply regret ever talking to you about my romantic interests?”

“You may not,” Dan replies and picks up one of the Jello cups that Jay had brought him. “Onto better topics. You bring a spoon for this?”

* * *

Jay feels an unexplainable disappointment when he shows up the next day and Nick isn’t there. In his place is a new person, probably in their late teens, with short black hair and the mien of someone who is perpetually bored.

He’s walking past them on his way to Dan’s room when they stop him.

“Hey, you’re Jay, right?” they say, sticking out an arm as if to block him, despite the fact that Jay’s on the other side of the hallway.

“That’s me,” Jay says cautiously.

“Nick said to say hi,” they say. “And he wanted to say that he’s sorry he wasn’t here today.”

“He needn’t be,” Jay says, slightly bewildered but also slightly happy that Nick had also placed some value in their two brief conversations.

The kid shrugs. “I told him that, but he insisted. The name’s Jordan, by the way.” They stick out their hand, this time obviously for a handshake. Jay takes it, but it might have been a mistake. Jordan shakes his hand with all the firmness of a polite death grip.

“Nice to meet you,” Jay replies, trying not to wince. “I suppose you already know who I am.”

Jordan nods. “Yeah,” they say, sitting back down, crossing their legs, and pursing their lips. “So, like, how well do you know Nick? I’m trying to figure him out, but, like, y’know.” They shrug.

“Not very well,” Jay says. “I assumed you’d know him better than I would.”

“Nah,” Jordan replies and then continues conspiratorily, “I’ve only run into him when I’m here to visit Daisy. I figure he’s only here ‘cause he feels bad ‘cause her immediate family never visits, and, like, yeah, they’re related, but apparently they’d never even spoken before she became a patient here.”

“Yeah?” Jay asks.

“Yeah,” Jordan confirms. “And apparently he just chats with her and brings her stuff to do, at least when she’s awake. I guess it’s convenient given that he works in the hospital and all, but something’s up with him, I can smell it.”

“Maybe he’s just a nice guy?” Jay offers.

Jordan raises an eyebrow. “A nice guy?” they ask. “Nothing’s ever that simple.”

Jay shrugs. “Well, let me know if he’s actually a bad guy.”

“Maybe he’s a good guy with a tragic past,” Jordan posits.

Jay blinks. “I think, if that’s the case, I’d rather find that out on my own.”

“Suit yourself,” Jordan says.

* * *

“You should get that Nick’s phone number,” Dan says.

“Why?” Jay asks.

“The nurses say I can leave in two days,” Dan replies, “and I don’t particularly feel like going on another bender for a while.”

“How about never again,” Jay mutters.

“Anyway, that means that tomorrow or the day after will probably be your last chance to see him,” Dan says. “You wouldn’t want all your networking to go to waste. Add him on LinkedIn. That’s the hot, new dating app, right?”

Jay sighs. “I wasn’t networking.”

“Great,” Dan says, “then his phone number should suffice.”

* * *

“Hey,” Nick greets the second Jay emerges from the elevator and into Nick’s periphery. “Sorry I wasn’t here yesterday. The hospital put me on a later shift.”

“Hey,” Jay says. “No worries. It’s not like you have an obligation anyway.”

Nick smiles. “Still, I think it’s just better to keep people in the know, y’know?”

“God,” says Jay. “You really are just a nice guy, aren’t you?”

“Pardon?” Nick laughs, and Jay’s heart skips a beat.

“Your friend Jordan seems convinced that you’re hiding some kind of dark secret, and that’s your motivation for visiting Daisy here,” Jay explains. “My theory was that you were just nice, but she wasn’t convinced.”

“I don’t know how dark is _dark_ , but the truth is I still live with my parents, and I love them, but they’re not always the best people, so if there’s an opportunity for me to spend some extra time away from home, far be it from me to look a gift horse in the mouth, right?” Nick explains. “And, honestly, after I realized how lonely and bored my cousin was up here, I was mostly just glad I could help her, so at least my motives aren’t _entirely_ selfish.”

“Well, that’s a relief,” Jay says. “I’ve enjoyed talking to you, so it’s good to hear that you’re not secretly evil.

Nick stifles a laugh and a poorly contained smile. “Well, enough about me. I heard that your friend is doing a lot better.”

“He is,” Jay says. “They’ll be discharging him tomorrow.”

“That’s great!” Nick says. “Well, the fact that he’s getting better, at least. It’s too bad our conversations will have to come to an end so soon.” He pauses, biting his lip nervously. “I know this is probably quite forward, but would you like to exchange phone numbers?” he asks. “I’d like to keep in touch.”

“I would _love_ that,” Jay says, offering up his best smile.

The faint blush that appears on Nick’s cheeks in response is assurance that Jay’s budding crush might not be entirely misplaced.

* * *

When Jay walks into room 532, the first thing he sees is the shit-eating grin on Dan Cody’s face.

“See?” Dan says. “What did I tell you.”

**Author's Note:**

> It's my personal headcanon of the AU that I made that Dan Cody had rescued Jay from the hands of a multilevel marketing scheme (MLM) and had ended up becoming his mentor as a result. The spirit of this mentorship should effectively mirror that which happened in the book, though this time Dan is also putting Jay through medical school because this is a Hospital AU.
> 
> I asked my mom about what it was like to work in a hospital in Radiology, and I think I actually used none of that... I had such a hard time with this one because I know zero (0) (zilch) about hospital stuff, and then I literally dodged all of it somehow.


End file.
